Back in May, we posted a visual simulation booklet of what The Northern Pass transmission line will look like from actual locations along the preliminary preferred route (based on preliminary engineering). These visual simulations were produced by LandWorks, a landscape architecture and planning firm out of Middlebury, VT, using sophisticated and industry-accepted software and software methodologies.

To make the simulations easier to find, we’ve stripped them out of the booklet into individual PDFs which are now posted on each of the relevant towns’ community pages. Here are direct links to the PDFs:

Many people have expressed concern about the potential visual impacts associated with The Northern Pass project. In response to these concerns, the project team hired LandWorks, a landscape architecture and planning firm, to produce a visual simulation booklet showing what the project will look like from locations where people would potentially see it from. These visual simulations were produced using sophisticated and industry-accepted software and software methodologies.

The goal of the visual simulations is not to make the project look good or bad, but to provide an objective perspective and sampling of what the project will look like from as many different vantage points as makes sense. Visual simulations typically focus on views from public vantage points rather than from individual residences.

For each vantage point included in the booklet, LandWorks provides a “before” image of what the view looks like today, and visual simulations showing what the view would look like with the inclusion of The Northern Pass transmission line using two typical industry designs: a) lattice transmission structures; and b) monopole transmission structures.

Photographs were taken using a 50 to 55mm lens, which registers similar to what the human eye sees. Because the eye acknowledges a 120- to 160-degree “cone of vision,” LandWorks tends to add a little more to the image on the left and right sides to provide a more accurate, panoramic view.

In LandWorks’ experience, these visual simulations tend to look very close to (or exactly the same as) what the project will actually look like from these vantage points once built. Additional visual simulations will be posted on the Northern Pass website as they become available.

Note: There are two versions of the Visual Simulations booklet, each sized for different types of paper. Exact sizes can be found in the 11 x 17 version, which is the full size document. The 8½ x 11 version of the Visual Simulations booklet, though easier to print, has been reduced by 40%, which may impact the perceived scale (i.e. objects may be larger or smaller than they appear).

We’ve received plenty of questions regarding the Northern Pass Project. This week (Jan. 31) we produced and mailed a document that provides an overview of the project and provides answers to many of the most often asked questions.

The mailing was made mainly to residents of the towns along the preliminary proposed route of the project.

As always, you can contact us with any specific question you may have. We’ll do our best to promptly respond.

The brochure provides a high-level explanation of the federal permitting process

We expect to hear soon from the US Department of Energy regarding its public process of considering the Northern Pass project. It’s a process that many citizens may have never dealt with previously.

I came across a DOE brochure that appears very appropriate for those who are interested in the Northern Pass project and how the federal aspect of the permitting process will proceed. To view and print the brochure, click the image or click here.